The Samiri’s Calf (Golden Calf): Deliverance Without the Dawning of Awareness

In the Name of God,

The Samiri’s Calf

Introduction: Deliverance is impossible without the maturity of awareness.

A luminous mirror of this truth is the story of the People of Moses (PBUH), who—after being liberated from Pharaoh’s grip and witnessing numerous miracles, including the parting of the sea and the attainment of sanctuary—regressed to their former era of mental slavery, for such miraculous happenings and their physical liberation had failed to bear the fruit of awareness and internal awakening. Consequently, in the absence of Moses (PBUH), they returned to the allure of the Samiri’s Calf.

The anatomy of this regression is revealed through:

1. The Disposition of the People of Moses

The People of Moses had lived under Pharaonic slavery for centuries. Yet, slavery is rarely just physical; it is mental and psychological as well. The psychological state embodied:

• Submission to external power
• Fear
• An ingrained dependency on perceptible symbols

Moses (PBUH) brought them deliverance, but external rescue is not synonymous with internal freedom. A physically unshackled soul whose awareness remains unawakened will inevitably find a new way to be enslaved.

2. The Absence of Moses: The Crisis of the Missing Visible Mediator

When Moses ascended to the Miqat (the divine appointment), the people fell into a hollow void; they were suddenly deprived of a visible mediator.

In this state:

• The visible leader had vanished
• The Divine remained imperceptible
• Patience and spiritual maturity had not yet taken root

Samiri exploited this gap by crafting a visible, tangible, and familiar symbol; something that could be:

• Beheld
• Touched
• Enshrined

For the immature spirit replaces the “absence of Truth” with the presence of a symbol…

3. Why the “Calf”?

This was no random choice; it was driven by various factors including cultural predisposition. In the civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the bull and the calf were symbols of:

•  Power
• Fertility
• Wealth
• Material life
• Earth and harvest

Having lived in this culture for generations, the People of Moses viewed the Calf as a “controllable god”—a deity they believed could be managed and invoked to fulfill their every desire.

4. Why the Return to the Calf After Witnessing Miracles?

The answer is simple: Miracles do not grant awareness. A miracle may strike a soul with awe, but it does not illuminate the mind. Awareness must be made; otherwise, even a miracle eventually fades into memory.

In truth:

• A miracle shatters fear
• But it does not cure ignorance.

The People of Moses witnessed the parting of the sea, yet they still:

• Lacked the fortitude to endure absence
• Remained incapable of relating to invisible Truth
• Resisted the burden of freedom

For freedom brings forth responsibility—a weight from which many instinctively flee.

5. TheSamiri ‘s Calf: An Eternal Symbol

The Calf of Samiri is not merely a historical relic; it is an eternal archetype and a recurring pattern in human history. Today, the “Calf” can manifest as a leader, an ideology, wealth, power, technology, or even a hollow, spiritless religion. It is, in essence, anything that:

• Usurps the place of Living Truth
• Exempts the individual from the labor of thought
• Offers a veneer of false security
• Caters to intellectual sloth

Ultimately, wherever Truth is absent, a Calf is inevitably fashioned.

The Construction of a “Political Samiri’s Calf”

What is the core issue?

The issue lies not in the examination of a specific individual or movement, but rather in the analysis of a flawed mental and psychological pattern the objective of which is not the restoration of national rights or the people’s sovereignty, but the acquisition of immense power and wealth through entering such movements as a business, allowing many participants to share in the distribution of spoils without ever having paid the inherent price for it.

In other words, as history defines:

• The Samiri’s Calf = A surrogate for Truth in the absence of awareness

Then, today, the “Calf” appears as a name, a face, or a symbol to attract “Master-seekers”; those who feel they must have a master over them (though many are simply invested in the distribution of the spoils and are not, in truth, enamored by the master’s charms.)

Why does part of society turn to a “Political Calf”?

This phenomenon typically occurs when:

1. Suffering and oppression have reached a breaking point.
2. Society has become exhausted, wrathful, and impatient.
3. Collective awareness has been denied the opportunity to mature.
4. People seek a “Savior” or a figurehead to make decisions on their behalf, allowing them to retreat into their personal lives…
5. Society attempts to spite the current regime by glorifying the previous one, ignoring the reality that had the previous system been truly efficient, it would have endured, precluding the current calamity.

Under these conditions, the unawakened mind cries out, “Let someone—anyone—come and fix everything.”

1. The Perpetual Cycle of Despotism(even with benevolent intentions):

• Centralizing hope in a single individual carries a critical risk.
• Collective responsibility is surrendered to a single figure—a fundamentally faulty move.

The Historical Outcome:

The nation never becomes politically active; instead, it remains in a state of waiting—and waiting is the breeding ground for the reproduction of despotism.

2. Societal Polarization

Worshipping figureheads typically leads to:

• A “With Us or Against Us” mentality (This right now manifests as a relentless drive to polarize the diaspora community—where those who do not conform are threatened and systematically targeted.)
• The erasure of logic and reason (The discourse is hollowed out, leaving nothing but the cacophony of “Long Live” and “Death To.”)
• Systemic internal hostility (Differing opposition voices are labeled as “dishonorable” and…)

The Outcome:

Before ever reaching freedom, the society disintegrates and fractures from within, and after exhausting its energy in prolonged internal friction, it sinks into despair.

3. Confiscation of the Nation’s Suffering and Their Rightful Demands

The authentic pain of the people stems from: poverty, oppression, injustice, historical humiliation, and the systemic looting of national wealth.

However, when these grievances are tethered to a single figurehead:

• In-depth critique and civic demands are replaced by hollow chants of ‘long live’ and ‘death to,’ creating the illusion that the nation’s sole deficiency has been the absence of a single person, rather than the pursuit of people’s rightful demands.
• Concrete planning is replaced by raw emotion; while emotion provides the fuel, it offers no direction.
• The country ceases to belong to its people and becomes the private domain and patrimony of a single ruler, reducing the citizenry to a state of peasantry.
• 4. Deepening Despair in the Wake of Failure
• If the “Political Calf” fails to address the people’s demands—which is the usual outcome, as individual monopolization leaves no room for genuine progress:
  • Disillusionment becomes more acute.
  • Public distrust sinks to deeper levels.
  • Society becomes psychologically primed for political enslavement.

  This is the most perilous stage, as it forces redefining a movement and a full-scale uprising…

  What is the Right Path?(Excluding any political prescriptions)

  In history, sustainable transitions have only occurred when:

  • Hero-making is replaced by awareness-raising.
  • Individual-centricity turns into structural-centricity.
  • People ask: “What is the system?” rather than “Who is the person?”

   Indeed, freedom does not arrive with a face; it arrives with collective maturity.

  Initial Conclusion

  The People of Moses worshipped the Calf not because they were simply ignorant or foolish, but because they had been freed from bondage without being mentally liberated; they remained captives to an internal slavery. They were not yet capable of living with intellectual independence, patience, awareness, and responsibility.

  This is the story of many individuals and nations who, even after achieving freedom, feel they must be enslaved to someone and require a master over them. Essentially, they have not changed from within; they remain “Dictator-breeders,” feeling a necessity for a forceful hand above them

  It is at this point that they are excluded from Divine grace, for they have not transformed themselves:

  “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11)

  Consequently, the human who has not reached the maturity of awareness is either a slave to Pharaoh or a worshipper of the Calf. All the oppressed wonder why God does not hear their cries and why a “piercing flame” does not descend upon the criminals.

  It is worth noting that such a flame may be sent once for the sake of the people who have changed themselves, dismantling the foundation of tyrants. At another time, it may simply be the “impending doom” of the tyrants themselves that brings their reign to an end. Thus, according to the Divine law of history, we see that no empire or power has endured; all have been destroyed, leaving behind nothing but a name in history.

  Final Conclusion

  The casting of any individual into a “Political Samiri’s Calf” can lead to:

  • The resurrection of tyranny under a new face
  • The suspension of awareness and social responsibility
  • Polarization and the dissolution of national trust
  • Deeper disillusionment in the future
  • …

  Closing Statement

  A nation still waiting for a savior is not ready for freedom, for freedom without awareness is merely a change of the national prison in which everyone remains captive.

  Mohammad Ali Taheri
  The Founder of Erfan Keyhani Halgheh School & Taheri Peace Organization
  Toronto: January 26, 2026 (Corresponding to 6 Bahman 1404)